SeaWorld attendance and earnings down, per capita spending up

Attendance and earnings plunged at SeaWorld theme parks this spring, but the company said Tuesday it expects improvement during the rest of the year thanks in large part to its new Antarctica expansion in Orlando. SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. said it posted a loss of $15.9 million, or 18 cents per share, in the second quarter. Stripping out items including the cost of paying down debt early and a $46.3 million fee to Blackstone, the private equity firm that took SeaWorld public, the company said it earned a profit of 41 cents per share.